The Department of State Services has released an Ogun State-based Islamic cleric, Abdul-Ganiy Ibrahim.
Ibrahim was arrested 424 days ago on the suspicion of being involved in terror activities. Recall that the cleric’s then pregnant wife, Muinat, was reportedly taken away from their Ijoko, Ogun State home, around 3am on July 5, 2014 by unidentified gunmen.
After searching for about four months, the family, however, later traced the couple to the DSS station in Abeokuta, from where Muinat was released while Ibrahim continued to be detained.
Punch reports that he was Monday released by the DSS in compliance with the June 18, 2015 order of a Federal High Court in Abeokuta, which faulted the cleric’s continued detention without being charged before a court of competent jurisdiction.
In its ruling on June 18, 2015, the court, presided over by Justice F.O.G. Ogunbanjo, maintained that it was illegal for DSS to still hold Ibrhaim. The judge also affirmed that the continued detention of the cleric by the DSS without informing him of the offence for which he was being held and without allowing him access to his lawyer, was a breach of Section 36 of the constitution.
Apart from ordering his immediate release, the judge held that Ibrahim was entitled to a public apology from the DSS, in addition to compensation for damages in the sum of N1m.
“The 1st applicant is entitled to the grant of general damages in accordance with Section 36 (5) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999,(as amended) for the abuse of his fundamental rights by the respondents’ unlawful detention and this court accordingly awards the sum of N1m to be paid by the respondents to the 1st applicant.
“The court having found that the continued detention of the 1st applicant is unlawful, the 1st applicant is entitled to a public apology from the appropriate authority or person by virtue of Section 35 (6) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999,(as amended). I therefore order the respondents to comply with Section 35 (6) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999,(as amended) and tender a public apology to the applicant,” the judge had held.
